Hope Is A Thing We Build - SWAF 2025

‘To be hopeful in bad times is not just foolishly romantic. It is based on the fact that human history is a history not only of cruelty, but also of compassion, sacrifice, courage, kindness… And if we do act, in however small a way, we don’t have to wait for some grand utopian future. The future is an infinite succession of presents, and to live now as we think human beings should live, in defiance of all that is bad around us, is itself a marvellous victory.’ – Howard Zinn

In a time where the state of the climate and actions of increasingly fascistic governments make it so easy to feel as though humanity is caught in a spiral towards self-annihilation, this exhibition will highlight reasons for hope by having artists and viewers pondering two main questions: How do you bring hope into the lives of others? And, what makes you hopeful?

From small day-to-day acts of kindness to collective acts of resistance. From the building of communities to imaginations of a better future. Hope is built by many through a wide spectrum of actions; it is those actions, and their consequences, that this exhibition will showcase and share.